I remember first meeting Joe when I was visiting and he showed up at your house on his bike. He told me how much you meant to him and I saw how much he meant to you. He was so good with the babies. He was one of a kind.
I remember when Joe used to come to the house, 283 Forbes, where alot of the uncles showed up to spend time with mom and dad and the kids and he started calling me, cle-bo the mayor of St. Paul, that has stuck with me for all of my life. There are alot of memories of Joe, but to pick just one would be so tough to do. They are all great memories, and I will miss him dearly. I am honored to have called him my uncle. love, kev
So it is that I write this in Uncle Joe’s honor. He was an “I love you brother” kinda person. No flake in the fella.
Last time I saw my Uncle Joe he was thirty-something and handsome as a bubble bee. Tanned muscles on a 5”8 frame. Mr. Compact. I remember the newspaper we found that showed Joe in his football uniform. The Cathedral high school’s super star running back “takes to the field.” It was a Heisman style pose of him running the ball. His leg high in the air and arm out to ward the defender. He looked tough and cool. Atlas on the field of play. Success was his for the taking. It was not long after this picture that things started to get tough. The first of two events that would change his life took place. The first I don’t know much about but from what my dad tells me it was a hell of a struggle.
Uncle Joe was in the Korean War. This war was a war like all wars a war to forget unless you were there. There were a number of futile battles and the psychological toll was enormous. The football star’s world was not the same. After Korea he got married and started a family proper. Later the tragedy that we all share occurred. This is where my story begins.
It is a story of Uncle Joe’s son Jeff. When I think of Joe I think of Jeff. It is my opinion that Joe would want me to talk about Jeff. He is going to rest with him now and forever. To a person you must believe this is true. Uncle Joe would not want us to gather and mince our words and talk about him too much. It is not his style, never was. If we want to do what’s right in the celebration of his life then say it and move on. Say it like it is. Say cool words in a cool way. The apple never fell far from that tree.
This is how I remember it…
My cousin Jeff rapped and his buddies laughed and I laughed at them cracking up. Slapping stuff and gasping for air. Jeff carried the room by his actions, his movement, his voice, and the way he played the character to a tee. Threw it in and tossed it out. The laughter turned to dust as we headed out. The screen door slammed. We were in there; cool cats at sundown in the seventies.
Rolling through the summit of our youth…I was 14 and he was my favorite. I was his favorite too. He looked and me and laughed – “Marky do ‘old black mo?’” I would roll my face, gimp my arms just right and say it deep like he taught me. The big guys laughed. Then the wink…the one his mom and dad did. One of those “I care about you kid” but “I gotta go” winks. And he left. It was the last time I saw him.
He did not make it to where he was going – at least not in the long run. It is hard to say where he would be today if it weren’t for the fate of a dear crossing the highway. He was headed to the Julliard. Sioux Falls to New York City is a long distance in more ways than miles. An artist with crazy skills and great looks at seventeen - gone from this life. The big stage and moving pictures was his for the taking - the chance of a lifetime in a lifetime of chance.
My Uncle Joe waited a long time for this moment. He told us some weeks ago it was time to let him go. Time to be with Jeff again. Take a bite from the big apple. Eternal peace. Make no mistake they are laughing…and the cameras roll…there is movement; arms rising and falling, shoulders moving. Jeff is talking, the imitation is on…”did you see that guy? Holy shit let me tell you what happened…” and Joe is laughing, smiling like a giant. It’s a wrap.
I had a very hard time dealing with this loss. I thought i had prepared myself for this some time ago. I guess it snuck up on me. My grandpa was one of a kind. I was lucky enough to spend so much time with him. Growing up he lived in the house behind us, i joked with my mom that grandpa grew up in our back yard. It is funny but in a lot of ways very true. Grandpa had it hard. Life was not a cake walk, but he made the most of it. I hope that in this life i can have half the strenth that man had. I will miss you terriably I am so blessed to have had you in my life for as long as i did. I love you poppy!
I remember first meeting Joe when I was visiting and he showed up at your house on his bike. He told me how much you meant to him and I saw how much he meant to you. He was so good with the babies. He was one of a kind.
ReplyDeleteI remember when Joe used to come to the house, 283 Forbes, where alot of the uncles showed up to spend time with mom and dad and the kids and he started calling me, cle-bo the mayor of St. Paul, that has stuck with me for all of my life. There are alot of memories of Joe, but to pick just one would be so tough to do. They are all great memories, and I will miss him dearly. I am honored to have called him my uncle. love, kev
ReplyDeleteA Bit about my Uncle Joe
ReplyDeleteSo it is that I write this in Uncle Joe’s honor. He was an “I love you brother” kinda person. No flake in the fella.
Last time I saw my Uncle Joe he was thirty-something and handsome as a bubble bee. Tanned muscles on a 5”8 frame. Mr. Compact. I remember the newspaper we found that showed Joe in his football uniform. The Cathedral high school’s super star running back “takes to the field.” It was a Heisman style pose of him running the ball. His leg high in the air and arm out to ward the defender. He looked tough and cool. Atlas on the field of play. Success was his for the taking. It was not long after this picture that things started to get tough. The first of two events that would change his life took place. The first I don’t know much about but from what my dad tells me it was a hell of a struggle.
Uncle Joe was in the Korean War. This war was a war like all wars a war to forget unless you were there. There were a number of futile battles and the psychological toll was enormous. The football star’s world was not the same. After Korea he got married and started a family proper. Later the tragedy that we all share occurred. This is where my story begins.
It is a story of Uncle Joe’s son Jeff. When I think of Joe I think of Jeff. It is my opinion that Joe would want me to talk about Jeff. He is going to rest with him now and forever. To a person you must believe this is true. Uncle Joe would not want us to gather and mince our words and talk about him too much. It is not his style, never was. If we want to do what’s right in the celebration of his life then say it and move on. Say it like it is. Say cool words in a cool way. The apple never fell far from that tree.
This is how I remember it…
My cousin Jeff rapped and his buddies laughed and I laughed at them cracking up. Slapping stuff and gasping for air. Jeff carried the room by his actions, his movement, his voice, and the way he played the character to a tee. Threw it in and tossed it out. The laughter turned to dust as we headed out. The screen door slammed. We were in there; cool cats at sundown in the seventies.
Rolling through the summit of our youth…I was 14 and he was my favorite. I was his favorite too. He looked and me and laughed – “Marky do ‘old black mo?’” I would roll my face, gimp my arms just right and say it deep like he taught me. The big guys laughed. Then the wink…the one his mom and dad did. One of those “I care about you kid” but “I gotta go” winks. And he left. It was the last time I saw him.
He did not make it to where he was going – at least not in the long run. It is hard to say where he would be today if it weren’t for the fate of a dear crossing the highway. He was headed to the Julliard. Sioux Falls to New York City is a long distance in more ways than miles. An artist with crazy skills and great looks at seventeen - gone from this life. The big stage and moving pictures was his for the taking - the chance of a lifetime in a lifetime of chance.
My Uncle Joe waited a long time for this moment. He told us some weeks ago it was time to let him go. Time to be with Jeff again. Take a bite from the big apple. Eternal peace. Make no mistake they are laughing…and the cameras roll…there is movement; arms rising and falling, shoulders moving. Jeff is talking, the imitation is on…”did you see that guy? Holy shit let me tell you what happened…” and Joe is laughing, smiling like a giant. It’s a wrap.
Marky D
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I had a very hard time dealing with this loss. I thought i had prepared myself for this some time ago. I guess it snuck up on me. My grandpa was one of a kind. I was lucky enough to spend so much time with him. Growing up he lived in the house behind us, i joked with my mom that grandpa grew up in our back yard. It is funny but in a lot of ways very true. Grandpa had it hard. Life was not a cake walk, but he made the most of it. I hope that in this life i can have half the strenth that man had. I will miss you terriably I am so blessed to have had you in my life for as long as i did. I love you poppy!
ReplyDelete